KARACHI: Trading activities remained almost paralysed on Tuesday as majority of shopping malls, wholesale and retail shops kept their business shut owing to incessant rain coupled with accumulated water on the roads.
However, factory output showed mixed trend as power breakdown in many industrial units had ruined production activities despite large attendance of workers, while supply chain was also hit hard in many industrial areas.
The supply of goods from wholesale to retail markets was also suspended while the supplies of goods to godowns and wholesalers from industries also remained at standstill.
“We carefully estimate a trade loss of Rs5 billion on Monday owing to closure of shops and business centres in the city,” said All Karachi Tajir Itehad Chairman Atiq Mir.
Some traders tried to open their shops in the morning due to low intensity of rain but they could not succeed amid persistent showers in the evening.
He said the accumulation of rain water at leading arteries had restricted traffic movement causing gridlocks forcing many traders and workers to stay at home in the absence of public and private transport.
The problem of traders further intensified as rain water entered at main shops and godowns at old city areas, thus destroying the goods and causing heavy financial losses.
Atiq said the provincial authorities’ claim of managing heavy rainfall finally ended in a fiasco, bringing down business activities to a standstill because of heavy flooding on the roads and markets. He said there were also reports of short circuit in some markets and cases of electrocution.
